Surprise visit from Premiership footballer for pupils at Progress Schools Toxteth

Ipswich Town footballer, Ali Al-Hamadi, who grew up in Liverpool, spent time speaking to pupils while filming at the FireFit youth and community hub in Toxteth. Ali was invited to meet some of the pupils at Progress Schools, which is based within the Hub and provides an alternative approach to education for pupils, outside of mainstream school.

He took time out of his filming session to sit with the class and talk to them about his life as a child, growing up playing football in the local area and achieving his ambition of becoming a professional footballer.

Speaking about the visit from Ali Al-Hamadi, teacher at Progress Schools Toxteth, Erin Kimber, said: “He shared stories about his early life, including his escape from the war in Iraq as a child and his subsequent move to Toxteth. Through his unwavering determination and hard work, he has achieved his dream of playing in the Premier League.

“Ali spoke to our students about the importance of resilience and the power of making positive choices, encouraging them to apply these principles to achieve success in any area of life they pursue. His story served as a powerful reminder that with dedication and perseverance, anything is possible.

“Our students are currently doing their mock GCSE exams and the discussions proved to be a great motivation for them. Seeing someone who has achieved what Ali has, despite setbacks and traumatic experiences as a child, really encouraged them to think about their own career plans - and helped them see that no goal is out of reach.”

Head of school, Gina Lunt, added: “We’d like to send a huge thank you to Ali for taking the time out of his day to share his story – it was amazing to see the students so motivated about their own plans for the future.”